An optical pickup apparatus is provided with a dividing element having a plurality of regions. The dividing element is capable of dividing a light flux reflected by the optical disc into a plurality of light fluxes having different outgoing directions. Each region of the dividing element and light receiving parts of a light detector are structured such that when a target information recording layer of the optical disc is brought into focus, a light flux reflected from the target information recording layer is focused on the light receiving parts of the light detector, and a light flux reflected from other information recording layer than the target information recording layer is not irradiated onto the light receiving parts of the light detector.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An optical pickup apparatus with a single beam system, comprising: a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser light; an objective lens for irradiating the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser as a single beam onto an optical disc; a dividing element for dividing the laser light reflected from the optical disc; and a light detector for receiving the laser light divided by the dividing element, wherein the dividing element has a region 1 , a region 2 , a region 3 , a region 4 , a region 5 , a region 6 and a region 7 ; the region 1 , the region 3 and the region 6 are line-symmetrical to the region 2 , the region 4 and the region 7 of the dividing element with respect to a center line of the dividing element; the regions 1 and 2 of the dividing element include portions which become narrower in width with the distance away from the center line, wherein the portions also become narrower in width in a light irradiated area of the dividing element with distance away from the center line, and the regions 1 and 2 are further divided in two by another line which extends in a direction perpendicular to the center line; the portion of the region 1 defines boundaries between the region 1 and regions 3 and 6 , and the portion of the region 2 defines boundaries between the region 2 and regions 4 and 7 ; the portions of the regions 1 and 2 extend beyond the light irradiated area of the dividing element, so that when the portions of the regions 1 and 2 are at a point of crossing an end of the light irradiated area of the dividing element, opposite straight edges of the portion of the region 1 are non-parallel to each other and opposite straight edges of the portion of the region 2 are non-parallel to each other; signals detected by the light detector from divided lights in the region 1 , the region 2 , the region 3 , the region 4 , the region 5 , the region 6 and the region 7 of the divided element are outputted by the light detector; and the center line extends in parallel to a track direction of the optical disc.
2. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 1 , wherein each of the regions 1 and 2 has a non-rectangular substantially trapezoidal configuration from a position of a beginning of narrowing of the width of the portions of the regions 1 and 2 .
3. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 1 , wherein the width of the portions of the regions 1 and 2 is at least partially delimited by the opposite non-parallel straight edges which become closer to one another as the distance from the center line increases.
4. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 1 , wherein the width of the portions of the regions 1 and 2 is measured in a direction transverse to the another line.
5. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 1 , wherein the dividing element is a diffraction grating.
7. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 6 , wherein each of the regions 1 and 2 has a non-rectangular substantially trapezoidal configuration from a position of a beginning of narrowing of the width of the portions of the regions 1 and 2 .
8. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 6 , wherein the width of the portions of the regions 1 and 2 is at least partially delimited by the opposite non-parallel straight edges which become closer to one another as the distance from the center line increases.
9. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 6 , wherein the width of the portions of the regions 1 and 2 is measured in a direction transverse to the another line.
10. The optical pickup apparatus with the single beam system of claim 6 , wherein the dividing element is a diffraction grating.
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July 6, 2009
July 12, 2011
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